Susceptibility
by Silent Alchemist
Summary: A little look into the elric brothers' life after getting als body back.


~notes: Thank you for looking at my fanfiction account ;w; I swear you wont be disappointed~

Susceptibility

 _"This body comes with many inconveniences. But inconveniences don't make me miserable! There is no reason for you to pity me! My life was put back together with alchemy by my brother. If I deny myself, that would mean I'm denying my brother, along with alchemy. I believe in the potential that alchemy holds. I want to believe in it!"_

"Brother!" That was the last word he spoke before he was stuck in that suit of armor for three years. Three long years. Three years of laying awake every night, lost in his own thoughts. Thoughts that taunted him, thoughts that tortured him, thoughts that crept into his mind when he was most vulnerable. Emotions didn't feel the same. Nothing did. Three years is a long time without sense. At first, the sensation of feeling was overwhelming. He'd slowly get over it though. Tonight was the night they moved into their new apartment; Both of their bodies intact.

"Brother, I'm cooking dinner. Any requests?" Alphonse asks his older brother. "Nah," the older blonde responds."Just don't make it too healthy, okay?" he concludes. Al laughed a bit and placed the straminious noodles into the pot. He poured in water as well and cranked up the heat. Once he did so, he slumped onto the couch and waited for it to boil. He was sitting on the soft, fuzzy, couch. Each bristle of fuz caressing his skin, sending a sensation of comfort up his body, shivers going down his spine. The shivers felt just as amazingly sensational. Before he knew it, he was asleep accompanied by the soft couch. Ed wandered in and noticed Al asleep. He turned off the stove and smiled. "We can skip dinner tonight.." He

whispered to his sleeping brother.

The next morning Al woke with a blanket on him and a pillow behind his head. 'What a good brother I have.' He thinks. When he awoke, he wanted more than anything to stay in bed, but if sleeping was all he'd do once he got his body back, then what's the point of getting his body back? Alphonse pried himself out of bed and dressed himself. He loves soft clothing against his skin. Its one of his favorite feelings. He uses extra fabric softener just for this.

"Eeeed!" He called. "Yes?" Edward said, his voice muffled by the muffin in his mouth. He walked into the room holding his shoes and dropped them onto the floor, beginning to put them on. "Are we going to visit Winry today? I want to try her apple pie for the first time!" Al didn't have much control over his voice since he was still getting used to it. He would often stutter with long words. "How could I not!? Its on the top of your list, isn't it?". Al nodded.

At that, the two cleaned up and made their way to Winry's.

They arrived at the front door and instantly Winry ran to open the door. "Ed, Al!" she exclaimed before pouncing onto them in joy. Her warm hug was like sitting in front of a fireplace, in a blanket. Alphonse went into a daze, imagining each crackle of fire before his eyes. It was one of his favorite sensations; Warmth.

" _The pain I'm feeling isn't the feeling of pain. In fact, Its the feeling of not being able to feel pain at all. Nor any physical sensation whatsoever."_

"So Ed, Al, are you two hungry?" It tickled his ears, the familiar voice he once heard through the metal of his armour. It was so crisp and clear compared to the past three years. The small blond shook his head and snapped out of it. "C-come again, Winry?" "I asked how you were." Alphonse was embarrassed to have just realized the hug had ended minutes ago. "Im fine," he responded finally.

The sensation of happiness wasn't but an emotion that only existed in the mind, it was a feeling that surged through every blood vessel, every nerve ending, a sensation felt all through his core that would make him dither. Emotions existed and they were very real, and Al was diving in head first to a world of them.

Coats hung on a rack, and a pie in the oven, Edward and Alphonse were comfy and settled into Winry's couch, or, _fluffy quick sand that would never let you go!_ At least that's what Al thought of it. 'Silly brother! Your feet shouldn't be resting on a coffee table!' Al thought to himself. He was too engulfed in the couch's soft features. "Mmh.." Al sighed happily. "You know.. it's quite rude to have your feet on the coffee table.." Al mumbled barely clear enough for the three of them to hear. "Whatever, this is Winry's! I'll do whatever I want," Ed made clear, but Al was too relaxed to care. **DINGG!** The oven rang.

Once again, a soft tickle of the sound caressed his ears. "Ehehe~" Al snickered and crossed his legs, pulling his knees up to his chest. "I love sound," the small boy squealed. "Come and get it!" Winry shouted to the two boys. In just a heartbeat, Al was at the table, with a slice of pie on his plate. He rushed the fork into the slice, breaking off a piece onto the fork. "Ah-Y-Owch!" Al screamed from the burn of the hot pie.

"Nhh . . ." He sobbed quietly. "A-al, please don't cry, it was just a burn . ." Al nodded shakily to his brothers comment. He knew it was only a little pain, but it was amplified; Al was only just starting to get used to normal sensations. "I-it hurts b-brother." "I-i know Al. The pain will pass." Al once again nodded and sniffed. "Brother.." "Yes Al?" There was a pause. "Do you get hurt too?" he asked innocently. Ed began laughing softly. "Of course, Al, I get hurt all the time. Almost constantly!" Ed looked back down at Al. "You're just not used to it yet," he concluded.

Edward and Alphonse were on they're way out the door, saying they're goodbyes. They drove home and went to bed.

"Mmmh.." Al yawned. "I love sleep . . ." He sighed. "You said it," the familiar voice of his brother added. "Brother? What are you doing over here?" The two usually slept in separate beds in their room. "I was really worried about you Al, you were crushed yesterday by that pie, this was the least I could do," Al smiled. "Thank you brother," Al yawned. He turned over and closed his eyes, "I'm also here to wake you up," Edward said, smirking. He grabbed his blankets and yanked them off of Al, who was then curling up into a ball. "Nooo…" Al groaned groggily. "Al, even you said that just sleep all the time was a waste!" Al moaned. "Get-UP!" Ed pounced onto Al and began tickling him. One of his LEAST favorite sensations. Al cried out in laughter. "B-BROTHER S-ST-TOP PL-EAS-SE! I'LL GET UP I'LL GET UP." And at that, Ed let go, and Al, panting, got up.

"S-spinach q-..quiche..!?" Als eyes were wide. "Yup! S'for you," Ed responded. Quiche was a treat, and Ed had gotten up extra early to make it. "Wow, th-thanks!" Al couldn't help but dig in, knowing to blow it before eating a bit. Al was nearly halfway through his quiche when, quiche in mouth, and voice slightly muffled, says. "I love you brother, your the best." He continued eating, smiling. Finishing his quiche, he cleared his plate, cleaning it. Flattered, Ed smiled. "You too," Ed returned. Al stood up and walked up stairs. He was greeted by his small cat. He smiled, loving the feeling of her soft fur against his leg. She usually spent her time hiding, but when she was out, it was only a joy to be around her. While Al went upstairs, Ed stayed downstairs to do his own thing. Al went up to his room to read his favorite books, which were much nicer to read with his own eyes.

" _Brother! Brother! P-Please don't! N-no! Edward! Stop! Please! I'll do anything!" He screamed until his voice no longer could. He watched as his brother disintegrated into thin air, right before his eyes. What had alchemy done to these poor brothers? "Brother!" Alphonse screeched, tears pouring down his face._

"AWUUAH!" Alphonse gasped, lounging forward in horror. "B-brother!" Al threw his blankets off of him and ran down the hall, kicking the door open. "Ed!?" He wasn't there. Alphonse raced downstairs, slipping, and falling down the last few steps. He ignored the pain, scattering and running to the couch, and there lies his peaceful sleeping brother. Al broke into tears and collapsed onto his brother and sobbed, body trembling. Instantly, Ed awoke and clutched his quivering brother. He was too scared to be tired from just waking up. "A-Alphonse what's wrong!?" Ed asked, terrified of what may be wrong. Al was having a mental break down in his arms and he didn't even know what was wrong.

"Y-you w-were being t….torn apart, d-d-deconstructed…. and then-n you v-vanish-shed in a tr-tr-transmutation.." 'He can barely talk. Poor thing..' Ed thought to himself.

Al wasn't okay. He didn't talk much that day. He hadn't smiled, or laughed either. Something was terribly wrong.

' _This feeling.. its like im being torn apart from the inside.. it hurts.. its not physical.. but it hurts more than anything i've ever felt.. what's happening?' Emotions weren't just felt in the mind. They could rattle your insides, release wild butterflies in your stomach, send vibrations down your spine, they were anything but mental. They were real and existed in every cell in a body._

" _ **It was just a nightmare Alphonse.."**_

' _I don't want to have nightmares, I don't want to feel pain, I don't want to feel sickness, I don't want…_ _ **This.**_ '

"Alphonse!"

"No!"

"ALPHONSE."

"I-I can't!"

"You jump and, god help me, I will too!"

His long gold locks blew in the wind from the roof top. It was cold, the sky was pitch black.

Ed inched forward. "Brother," Ed inched forward."I-i can't do this!" Ed inched forward. "I-i can't continue," Ed inched again. "it's too overwhelming!" Ed did once more. "Alphonse, you back away from that ledge right now!" Ed demanded. "Edward i-" Edward grabbed Als wrist, lounging into his chest, encasing his arms around him into a tight hug, tears shed.

' _Each spark that popped tickled my ears with they're sound. Sometimes when one was loud enough, I'd giggle. The warmth of the fire gently heated up my exposed skin. It was wonderful, as it always is. I.. love feeling. I love heat, I love pain, I love emotions.. I love.. Edward.. I can't leave these things behind...'._

"B-Brother!" Al gasped, realizing what he had just been through and just put his brother through. What had he done? He shed many tears in his brother's arms.

"Alphonse I swear to whatever is out there, we will get through this together, and I promise I will do whatever I can to make you happy. Just…" You could hear the tremble in his voice. "Please never do that again. Ever." Ed pleaded. Alphonse nodded, sniffing.

"Im sorry." Alphonse whispered.

The brothers lived peacefully after that. Ed from that point on slept in the same bed as Al so he wouldn't suffer nightmares or anxiety, and Edward didn't keep his eyes off of his brother, if anything happened to his brother, he wouldn't forgive himself. Winry often visited and made them pies _._ They lived happily in their Risembool home, working their way through everything hand and hand, brother and brother, just like they did as kids.

 _ **FIN~**_


End file.
